CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Dorothy D. Silva
Saint Louis University
COMPOSITION OF BLOOD
⚫RED CELLS
⚫WHITE CELLS
⚫PLATELETS
floating in a liquid called
PLASMA
COMPOSITION OF BLOOD
COMPOSITION OF BLOOD
RED BLOOD CELLS
⚫Biconcave discs
⚫No nuclei
⚫Spongy cytoplasm enclosed in an elastic
cell membrane
⚫Red pigment called haemoglobin
⚫Are made by the red bone marrow of
certain bones in the skeleton: ribs,
vertebrae and breastbone
Red blood cells: hystology
Red bone marrow
HAEMOGLOBIN
Haemoglobin (Hb)
⚫Hb + O₂ oxyhaemoglobin
(OHb)

In places where the O₂ concentration is low, OHb breaks

down and releases its O₂. Where??

⚫ Oxygenated blood : contains mainly OHb.

⚫ Deoxygenated blood : with little OHb.
Oxyhaemoglobin
Red blood cells
After 4 months

Hb Iron

Bilirubin Stored in the liver

Bile
WHITE CELLS
⚫Different types
⚫Larger than red cells
⚫They have nuclei
⚫They are made in the same bone marrow
that red cells
⚫The two more numerous types are:
- Phagocytes
- Lymphocytes
White blood cells
White blood cells
White blood cells: Phagocytes
⚫They collect at the site of an infection,
engulfing (ingesting) and digesting
harmful bacteria. They prevent the spread
of infection through the body.
Phagocytes
White blood cells: Lymphocytes
Production of antibodies (proteins)
PLATELETS
They help to clot the blood
PLASMA
⚫Ions: sodium, potassium, calcium,
chloride, hydrogen carbonate.
⚫Proteins: fibrinogen (clotting), albumin
and globulins (antibodies).
⚫Food substances: aa, glucose and fats.
⚫Hormones
⚫Urea
Functions of the blood
⚫Homeostatic functions
⚫Transport
⚫Defence against infections
- Clotting
- White cells
Functions of blood: Transport
Substance From To
Oxygen Lungs Whole body
Carbon dioxide Whole body lungs
Urea liver kidneys
Hormones glands Target organs
Digested food intestine Whole body
Heat (opening and closing Abdomen and muscle Whole body
of blood vessels)
THE HEART
Human Heart
⚫4 chambers:
- 2 atria (thin-walled)
- 2 ventricles (thick-
walled)
⚫Veins: deoxygenated blood except pulmonary vein
⚫Arteries: Oxygenated blood except pulmonary artery
⚫Valves: They stop blood flowing backwards.
⚫Coronary arteries: They supply the heart muscle
with food and oxygen.
Human heart
Valves of the heart
CONTROL OF THE HEART
BEAT
⚫At rest: normal heart rate, 50-100 beats
per minutes.
⚫During exercise: 200 beats/min
⚫The heart beat is initiated by the
pacemaker, a small group of specialized
muscles cells at the top of the right
atrium.
Control of the heart beat
⚫ Blood pressure ↑ ↓ heart rate

⚫ Blood pressure ↓
↑ heart rate
⚫ ↓ O₂ concentration
⚫ ↑ CO₂ concentration
⚫ Hormone adrenaline
BLOOD VESSELS
Blood vessels
Function Structure of wall Width of lumen
ARTERIES Carry blood away Thick and strong, Relatively narrow, it
from the heart containing muscles varies with heart
and elastic tissue. beat, as it can stretch
and recoil.
CAPILLARIES supply all cells with Very thin, only one Very narrow, just one
their requirements cell thick. cell can pass
and take away waste through.
products.

VEINS Return blood to the Quite thin, containing Wide, contains

heart less muscle and valves
elastic tissue.
Arteries, veins: histology
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
Lymphatic system
⚫ Thin-walled vessels called lymphatics.
⚫ They empty their contents into the blood system.
⚫ The fluid is called lymph.
⚫ Most of the lymph flow results from the vessels being
compressed when the body muscles contract in
movements such as walking or breathing.
⚫ There are valves, which force the fluid in one direction:
towards the heart.
⚫ Lymph nodes: storage of lymphocytes. There are also
phagocytes.
⚫ Lymphatic organs: Spleen and thymus
Lymph nodes: the body defense system
Lymphatic organs: spleen and
thymus
SPLEEN: functions
⚫Remove worn-out red cells, bacteria and
cell fragments from the blood.
⚫Produce lymphocytes and antibodies.
THYMUS: functions
⚫ Particularly important lymphoid organ in the newborn:
- controls the development of the spleen and
the lymph nodes.
- produces lymphocytes (immunity)
⚫ After puberty , important immunological organ,
although it becomes smaller.
- storage of white cells
- production of a large population of lymphocytes
T.
Blood functions: DEFENSE
AGAINST INFECTIONS
⚫ WHITE CELLS:
- Phagocytes: - at the sites of a wound
- in the blood capillaries
- in lymph nodes

ingest harmful bacteria and stop them entering the

general circulation

- Lymphocytes: Production of antibodies

⚫ CLOTTING
CLOTTING
⚫ When tissue is damaged and blood vessels cut
⚫ Platelets clump together and block the smaller
capillaries.
⚫ Fibrinogen fibrin (network of fibres across
the wound)
⚫ Red cells become trapped in this network and form a
blood clot.
↓ entry of harmful bacteria
prevents
further loss of blood
Clotting
Blood clotting
ATHEROMA and
THROMBOSIS
CORONARY HEART DISEASES
Possible causes of coronary heart
diseases
⚫SMOKING

⚫FATTY DIET

⚫STRESS

⚫LACK OF EXERCISE
THANK
YOU!